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Fifty-Seven
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2024-05-28 23:20:43Monte couldn’t wait to get out of the bedroom. Several times he’d wanted to kiss her passionately. But she’d broken his heart already, and he didn’t want to continue feeling that pain. Strange to think they’d only known each other a few days, and that he had allowed himself to be struck by Cupid’s arrow. That had never happened to him before.
If they had remained on his bed, he would have succumbed to temptation and kissed her, and never stopped. Yet, he knew she was only here because she and Tom had argued. She confessed that she still didn’t know her feelings, and Monte couldn’t push the issue. He needed to allow her to think this matter through clearly. All he could do was pray that she’d consider him over Tom.
When they reached outside, he stopped them. She looked at him with wide, questioning eyes. He grinned and pointed out toward the yard. The outdoor lights were lit brightly, making it easy for her to see th
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Breanna hadn’t been able to catch her breath since last night with Monte. She’d almost told Monte she loved him. Why would she do that? She really needed more time to figure out her feelings for Monte. If she wanted him just because Tom was being a jerk, that wouldn’t be fair to Monte. She definitely didn’t want to hurt him.She sat at her desk at work, staring at the computer screen. Once again, she couldn’t concentrate. Monte had filled her thoughts so often since she met him, and she couldn’t decipher her own feelings.Or could she?She’d lain awake most of the night thinking about Monte and thinking about the wonderful things he’d done for her. He had made her feel like a woman. Tom had never accomplished that. Monte had made her laugh, and she wasn’t afraid to speak her mind with him. Not Tom. She was afraid of his temper. And Monte had made her feel beautiful. Never in her life had anyone made her feel
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Just as Breanna finished her project and sent it to her supervisor’s email, she leaned back in her chair and sighed. For a while, she wondered if she’d be able to complete it at all. Monte had definitely put her under a spell, and she couldn’t stop smiling and laughing. Her co-workers noticed her change, and they even commented on it. Remarkably enough, it didn’t embarrass her.Whatever Monte had done to her, he’d given her more self-confidence than she’d had in a long time. He’d made her feel good about the person she was, inside and out.The phone on her desk rang, and she quickly answered it. “Thanks for calling Upbeat. This is Breanna. How can I help you?”“Hi.”The man’s voice on the other end of the phone was not Monte’s. Disappointment crashed over her, but when she recognized who it was, her nerves jumped with anxiety. She repeated in her mind, Tom will not
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Monte’s mind scurried in several different directions. There must be a way to break free. Tyger had the right idea. They needed to get these bindings off their wrists first, and then they could plan their escape.He breathed heavily for several seconds, trying to calm himself in order to think properly. Suddenly, and idea sprang to his mind and he sat up straight. “Tyger, you might be able to untie my hands.” He turned his back to her.“Okay, I’ll try.”When her fingers touched his, he held them for a few moments, enjoying the feeling of her skin against his. Slowly, she pulled her touch from his. Her fingers awkwardly fumbled with the ropes.Holding his breath, he hoped she’d be able to do this, but her quiet sobs of failure were growing louder.“I don’t think I can,” she said with irritation in her voice.“Don’t give up. I know you can do this.”“I&r
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Breanna was grateful that Todd had given her the day off. After last night’s ordeal, there was no way she could return to work so soon. She’d never been so scared in her life. The police had arrived quickly last night, and arrested the three men. Thankfully, they weren’t completely finished loading their truck and so they were caught in the act. The police had asked Monte and Breanna questions afterwards. The TV stations had wanted in on the action, but Monte denied them any interviews, thank goodness.Being in that predicament made Breanna think clearly for the first time since she started going out with Tom. Now she knew beyond a doubt that breaking away from Tom was the best thing for her. Never again was she going to feel helpless.She realized with all that had happened, she’d forgotten about Ashley’s wedding gift. Breanna shrugged. Her friend would have to get it herself now.Breanna sat at the breakfast table and stared at he
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Monte didn’t trust Tom as far as he could spit on him. Which was why Monte decided to hang around Breanna’s apartment and wait for the jerk to come to her place.Dressed in dirty-white coveralls and brown hiker-boots, and a white ball cap pulled low on his forehead, Monte stood by Tyger’s neighbor’s apartment as he pretended to be working on their window. He’d previously gotten permission from the landlord to do this, mainly because the neighbors were on vacation. Pat had never liked Tom, which made it easy for Monte to ask her if he could spy on them. Of course, he had to tolerate the way the older woman ran the palm of her hand up and down Monte’s chest as she stood too close to him, batting her fake eyelashes and puckering her neon-red pouty lips. But thankfully, he wasn’t in her presence for very long. That woman scared him!His cell vibrated in his pocket, and he quickly withdrew it and glanced at caller ID. It was his fat
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Breanna didn’t know why she was playing with Monte’s emotions this way. She knew what he wanted, and one day, she would want the same thing. Just not tonight. Tom had hurt her not only physically but mentally, and she needed to get over her feelings. Monte was the right man for her, not Tom, but she still should heal before she gave her heart and body to the man she loved.“I would love for you to take care of me, even though it’ll be a first since nobody has ever taken care of me before.” She stroked his sexy trimmed goatee. “However, as much as I would love to see your bedroom again, maybe it’s too soon to become that close with you.”A frown marred his face, but there was a twinkle in his eyes that let her know he was playing along with her teasing. “Why did I know you were going to say that?”She chuckled. “After what I’ve been through with Tom, don’t you agree with me?”“Yes, you’re right. But we can still cuddle, can’t we?”“Of course. I’d be very upset if we didn’t.”His wide sm
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“How do you want it done? Clean or really messy?”“Clean. My daughter doesn’t need to see blood.”Justin Monroe paused in the hallway of the semi-empty church as he heard his soon-to-be father-in-law talking to someone with a gruff voice. The voices were low, and they came from around the corner. The tone of the men’s voices left a bitter taste in Justin’s mouth.He glanced up the hallway. People were starting to arrive for the wedding rehearsal, and Justin had wandered the halls, looking for his soon-to-be father-in-law. Being a busy man, time was important to Justin. In less than three years, he’d turned his father’s oil company into a billion-dollar business, and keeping it successful took up most of Justin’s day.He pulled out his cell phone to check the time. The rehearsal was already running five minutes late.“I’ll wait until after their honeymoon in Fiji,” the man with the brusque voice said.Justin’s attention snapped back to the co
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I must be dreaming.The strange man in Brooke Cavanaugh’s dream pierced her with his angry stare. Closing her eyes, she tried to make him disappear.The uncomfortable lump resting against her hip roused her further out of her prescription-drug induced slumber. Awareness gradually surrounded her, sending a loud ring through her ears. She stretched the aches out of her limbs, and her arms bumped into an object above her head. Her fuzzy mind tried to recall what surface she’d rested upon. It certainly wasn’t a soft bed. Her stiff muscles were positioned on some type of cushion with a texture like leather. Groggily, she tried to remember why in heaven’s name she would sleep on leather.Her memory returned in broken pieces – a wedding rehearsal she hadn’t wanted to attend, a reoccurring migraine, and two instead of one-prescription pills had caused her to slip from the boring proceedings of the rehearsal to seek refuge in her sister’s car.Yawning, sh
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Fear kept Brooke’s feet frozen to the floor. Her mind screamed at her to move – to run – to hide. But her body wouldn’t listen.He’s going to catch me. And kill me!Closing her eyes, she held back the tears. She was a failure. As much as she had tried to not let her cousin’s degrading comments get to her these past several months, Brooke heard Robin’s voice ringing in her memory, telling her that she was nothing but trash – that she was a disgrace to the family.All Brooke had to do was sneak into the room, take a few pictures, and leave. Well, she’d done most of the things on her list.She listened to her uncle’s hurried footsteps coming her way. There was no place to hide in this room where he wouldn’t eventually find her. She might as well stay. Perhaps she could pretend to be asleep on his couch and tell him she’d taken too many migraine pills… since that’s what happened with Justin and the Jeep. And, her uncle did know she suffered from migraines.She glanced around the room until
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Brooke’s whole body trembled as she walked alongside her sister toward Uncle Tony’s luxurious home. As a child she’d been in awe of him and his wealth. Now, she pitied the man who had to break the law just to provide for his spoiled daughter and stuffy, arrogant wife.During the drive here, Tiffany had chatted nonstop about Robin’s heartbreak, and the horrible man who’d broken Robin’s heart. Brooke tried to act sympathetic while listening to her sister, but she couldn’t stop the elation growing within her. Justin hadn’t been horrible when he dumped Robin. He’d been smart.Brooke and her sister stopped on the porch. Tiffany was a foot taller than Brooke, but just as slender. Flipping a lock of her chestnut colored hair over her shoulder, Tiffany gave Brooke a stern look.“Do not make Robin upset.” Brooke managed to hold back the laugh that threatened to escape from her mouth. She nodded. “I don’t plan on doing that, Tiff. I’m not the monster she has told people that I am.”
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“Justin?”The sweet voice behind Justin pulled him from his conversation. He turned on the bed and faced Brooke, standing in the doorway, looking so beautiful. She clutched her hands to her stomach.“Hold on a moment, Brad,” Justin told his friend on the phone before smiling at Brooke. “What is it, angel?”Slowly she walked to him and stopped in front of him, touching his arm. “I think I can help you with Uncle Tony.”He arched an eyebrow. “You can?”“I know something that can put my uncle in prison.”“Really?”Nodding, she took a deep breath and slowly released it. “He smuggles illegal immigrants over the border, which is how Snakes came to work for him. He hires them, so he can get away with not paying them a full wage.”“Are you kidding me?” Justin’s heart hammered. He grasped her hands as excitement shot through him. There might be hope in getting Tony arrested after all.“And, there’s more.” Her smile widened. “He gives them fake ID’s and social security numbers.”“How do you kno
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Brooke didn’t know what to believe anymore. Obviously, she couldn’t trust her own heart. Justin had made her trust him. He’d made her fall in love with him, too. True, he didn’t force her, but because of his actions and words, how could she not have become transfixed by his charm? How could she have gone unaffected?Now she didn’t know whether to trust him or not. But hearing Justin say he wouldn’t marry Robin made Brooke’s heart sway toward forgiving him. She wanted to believe Justin. He’d shown her a wonderful, kind and loving man these past twenty-four hours. He might have apologized to her, but it was difficult to know what to believe anymore.Sitting by the fire didn’t accomplish anything, especially when she could hear him on the phone. He’d made several calls. One of them was to his mother as he explained in a sharp voice why he would never marry Robin. He’d even told his mother not to interfere in his life ever again.Quietly, she snuck back down the hall and stopped in front
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Justin sighed one long exasperated breath and ran his fingers through his hair. “Yes.”“You’re, Justin… Monroe? The same man engaged to my cousin?”“Correct again. I was engaged to Robin.”Tears swam in Brooke’s eyes, her lips quivering. “You – you – lied to me?”He squeezed his eyes closed and swore softly. Looking at her, he shook his head. “I didn’t lie to you. I just didn’t tell you my last name.”“Why?” her voice rose.“Because at first it didn’t matter, then once we got to talking, I didn’t want to tell you because then I knew you wouldn’t open up to me.”“That’s a stupid excuse, Justin.”Inwardly he growled and grasped her wrist, but she pulled it free again. “Brooke, will you just listen?”“Listen to a liar? No, I’m done listening to you. I’m done being fooled by all men!”“Brooke, please understand, I didn’t tell you the truth because I wanted you to get to know me. The real me – not the fiancé of a Robin Pierpont. Believe me, they are two different people.”“Believe you?” Sh
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Justin’s chest ached, and he actually felt her pain. As he continued to stroke her silky hair, he prayed that he’d be able to stay strong for her. She needed comfort and support since nobody had given that to her, and he wanted to be the man who understood. The one man she could trust.His heart broke into pieces as he imagined all she’d gone through. What could be worse than being physically abused and then having friends and family turn their backs and distrust you?“After a few weeks had passed,” she continued in a strained voice. “I discovered I was pregnant.”The statement took him totally unaware, and when she lifted her head to look into his face, he knew she saw shock.“Yes, you heard me correctly.” She blinked away the liquid filling her eyes again. “I had the hardest time deciding whether or not I should keep the child or put it up for adoption.” She pulled herself straight, but he still kept his arms tight around her. “Anyway, my pregnancy started showing and I was beginnin
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Justin arose from his sleepless night, turned and slung his legs over the side of the bed. He rubbed his eyes then peered through half-closed lids at the alarm clock on the nightstand. Eight a.m. It’d been quite a while since he’d awakened this late. The change was nice.He stretched before sliding his feet into Brad’s slippers sitting on the floor. The morning chill caused goose bumps to ripple over his skin, so he hurried to the closet to find Brad’s robe. Justin pulled on the heavy terrycloth, tying the sash around his waist.Turning toward the window, he opened the shade and squinted against the sun’s brilliant glare as it touched the snow-covered ground. The impact of last night’s blizzard had left the mountains covered in white powder, but this morning only a few flakes drifted from the sky.He yawned, shaking the sleep out of his mind before heading into the living room to start a fire. As he set the wood in place, his mind drifted back to last night. Brooke had left him in a f
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A moment of silence stretched through the air as Justin listened to Vince Gill’s song. The singer’s soothing voice echoed through the room, creating a cozy feeling. Justin closed the glass doors to the fireplace, and Brooke’s angelic hum rose above the crackle of the burning logs.Relaxing against the wall, he let himself enjoy the music as her voice blended with the singer’s. It had been so long since he enjoyed anything. Justin’s hectic life kept him going in one direction or another, not allowing a moment for himself. It was a miracle he’d even had time to date Robin, let alone get engaged. Thanks to his meddling mother, he’d somehow found the time to pop the question. Or maybe she’d popped the question. He couldn’t remember.In fact, his mother was the one who purchased the ring because his schedule was so time-consuming and he kept forgetting. His interfering parent reserved the perfect restaurant and she made sure the limousine picked him up from the office to deliver him there
